Push button actuated lock device for cabinet doors, compartment doors and the like



June 21, 19@ s. LILLKVIST 2,941,833

PUSH BUTTON ACTUATED LOCK DEVICE FOR CABINET DOORS, COMPARTMENT DOORSAND THE LIKE I FiledJune 14, 1955 IN VENTOR I @mailiiiui ATTORNEYSStates,

PUSH BUTTON ACTUATED LOCK DEVICE FOR CABINET DOORS, COMPARTMENT DOORSAND THE LIKE Salomo Lillkvist, Alholmsgatan 23, Jakohstad, Finland FiledJune 14, 1955, Ser. N 515,410

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-220) This invention relates to push button actuatedlatching means for cabinet doors, compartment doors and the likerequiring some type of latching means. Many different modifications ofspring locks are known but they all sufier from certain defects. Eitherthe locks are too expensive and complicated in construction or notstrong enough to stand the daily use to which a cupboard door, e.g., ina kitchen is subjected. For this reason lock devices with spiral springmeans about the push button andother loose parts are not suitable.Priordevices are also often applicable only to a relatively thick doorwhich is impractical for kitchen cabinets. Then too, the locks or latchbolts must be attractive in outward appearance.

Locks are known, Where a spring actuated angular latchbolt is mountedfor swinging motion about a pivot pin disposed in a casing and passedthrough the bolt near the angular end thereof, the lock casing beingconnected directly to a knob or a handle whereon a push button ismounted. This invention is characterized in that the lock casingconsists substantially of an angular part having one legthereof possiblydetachably secured to a mounting plate whereby the lock can be securedto the front side of a door, the other leg of said angular part beingadapted to run substantially parallel with the said plate and to housethe latchbolt proper while the pivot pin in mounted position is arrangedto lie in the casing part turned towards the cabinet, compartment or thelike so the latchbolt in operative position projects at least to theedge of the plate on the wall of the cabinet, compartment or the likeadjacent to the lock device.

Then too, the push button can advantageously be arranged to slightlyincline in relation to the plane'of the door. This arrangement providesthe push button with a more favourable position in relation to the legsof the latchbolt wherefore the same can be made more massive instructure. The same need only be provided with a stop or shoulder forlimiting the outward movement thereof while the inward movement thereofis restricted by the casingor the latchbolt.

In most of the heretofore known latching devices of the type stated thelock casing which houses the latchbolt (in this case the angularpivotally mounted latching means) is secured to the back side of a doorand only the push button projects through the door itself. Hence aclosing device of the type stated consists of two parts. Conversely, thelock casing of the present invention consists of a shaped casing whereinone leg is directly joined to the plate adapted to be mounted on thefront side of the door and simultaneously to form a part of the handlewhile the other leg is adapted to house the latchbolt itself. In thisway it is possible to place the latching device of the invention ondoors of dilferent thicknesses. The lock casing may stick out more orless on the back side or be sunk entirely into the wood of the door. Thelock is. mounted on the door from the front side thereof only. 'When sodesired a cover plate can be secured round the lock casing on the backof the door or over be used as a pattern in the aperture making step.

In such instances wherein the lock casing sticks out more or less on theback side of the door and is surrounded by a plate the latter canand inconnection therewithialso the lock casing--be shaped in many diiiep entways. Especially when the lock'casing is'mou'nted slidably in relationto the mounting plate on the front side of'the door the cover plate canadvantageously be used for rigidly securing the casing in a specificposition. For this purpose it is advantageous to provide the cover platewith grooves which coact with corresponding projections in the lockcasing. Such projections are provided, e.g., by the pivot pin ends whichproject from the lock casing. Also different kinds of ridges can be madein the casing wall for coacting with corresponding grooves in the coverplate or vice versa to maintain the two parts in fixed relativeposition.

The lock casing can also be made so the lock can be opened from the backside of the door without thereby rendering the lock complicated or weakin construction. Through an aperture in the casing bottom (the casingwall parallelwith the back side of the door) can be passed a memberwhich operates against the spring action and elfects bolt retractionwithout depression of the push button and without the push buttonactuating said means, or, the said means can be made integral with thelatchbolt and stick out through the aperture. This releasing means canadvantageously be shaped in the form of a tongue adapted to cover saidaperture and not changing the'appea'rance of the casing.

Both the lock casing and the angular piece or latchbolt and thereleasing means can be made from one and the same sheet of metal andbent into the desired form. It is to be understood that the same canalso be made of material other than metal, e.g., plastics.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a member on the rear side thereof; Fig.2 isa fragmentary perspective view of an embodiment of the inventionshowing the same at the rear side of a relatively thin door prior tosecuring the lock in place; and t p Fig. 3 is an exploded perspectiveview of alatchbolt, pivotzpin and spring, all forming parts of theinvention.

The-lock of the invention consists of relatively few and simple parts:The handle 1 on the front side of the door serves simultaneously as aguide sleeve for the push button 2, having one end thereof disposed inthe lock casing 3. The handle proper 1 can be shaped in many diiferentways. Hence the lock can be applied to right and left hand sided doorsas also in vertical andhorizontal positions. When the handle is adjustedinto the desired position the same is screwed securely to the door byscrew. means.

The lock casing 3 is cut from one and the same piece of material andbent so the same forms a hollow |-shaped piece wherein one leg issecurable by means of earsto the mounting plate of the handle 1 whilethe other leg is adapted to house the-latchbolt 5' which is pivotallymounted by means of a pin 6 "and a spiral spring 7 in the lock casing 3so the bolt 5 will, when the lock is in non-operative position, remainin locked position.

That part of the latchbolt abutting against the push button 2 can beprovided with a projection 5b adapted to lean against the push button orbe bent upwardlyagainst the end surface of the pushbutton. Theprojection 5b may also be provided with a roller for facilitatingsliding along the end surface of the push button 2. To facilitateassembly the ends of the pin 6 may be provided with a lock with areleasing shoulderor the like so the same may be clamped or same or thebolt, To preventthe ends of the spring from entering crevices in thecasing or the bolt the same may advantageously be bent, but nothingprevents one from keeping the same straight. W

The embodiment of the releasing member shown in Figures 1 and 2 consistsof a lever arm which'partly embraces the latchbolt and is mounted on theaxis thereof and maintained in non-operating position by the spring 7which is shown clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The lever arm is shapedto form a tongue 12 which covers an aperture 3d made in the lock casing.From either sides of the tongue proper 12 extend arms 12a which embracethe latchbolt 5 and are rotatable about the-pin 6. At right angles tothe length of the arms 12a, and extending outwardly therefrom are theflanges, which are bent towardeach other and are adapted to engage thearms 5b of the latchbolt. By moving the tongue into the direction"indicated by the arrow in Fig. l the arms 5b are projected and the boltretractedinto inoperative position. Hence the push button 2 does not actupon the releasing member wherefore the two members function quiteindependently of each other. The spring causes the tongue to retractinto inoperative position and the casing portion supports the tongue 12at one end of the aperture 3d. The latchbolt may also be made integralwith the releasing member. It will be apparent that one end of thespring 7 bears against an inner .wall of the casingwhile the other endthereof bears against the inner side of the portion 5a of the bolt 5 tonormally urge the bolt outwardly from the casing, as shown in Fig. 2,but thatwhenthe tongue 12 is moved away from the casing as shown by thearrow in Fig. 1, its flanges will bear against the portions 5b of thelatchbolt moving the same counterclockwise, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3,to thereby move the bolt to unlocked position against the action o f thespring 7.

Upon depressing the button 2 the inner end portion thereof disposedwithin the casing 3 operates against the action of the spring and pushesthe latchbolt so that the projecting part 5a thereof shown in Fig. 2 isswung into the casing 3 and the door is freed to. open when the handle 1is pulled. Ifthe push button is arranged to incline the inner partthereof can advantageously be beveled slightly in order not to strikethe wall of thelock casing. v

In constructing the lock the latchbolt 5 is first disposed in the casing3 by means of the pin 6 while the spring is arranged in holes near theoutermost corner of the casing leg, an which the button 2 is insertedinto its place finally the diiferentparts are connected with a platewhich is attached with ,rivets or screws to the handle part or themounting plate is providedwith holes for the screws or other fasteningmeans. The rivets may also consist of pipe rivets through which the"screws" are passed; Should some partsbemade of plastic material therivets can be madeintegral with the said parts and then application ofheat and/or pressure'be' shaped into the desired form. Also glueingmethods can be adapted for usein assembling the parts together.

It is naturally also possible to secure the casing 3 to the mountingplate without the use of a specific cover state, Neither is thereanything to prevent onefrom makingthe housing 3 integral with thehandle" part' l while suitable means shouldbe providedfor inserting thepush but t on; in the construction step. .In general the constructional:details maybe varied in'- many diiferent wayswithin the scope and spiritof this invention; When the'pushbutton is bevelled the same can beinclined in many difi'erent'ways in relation to the door surface,-bo thas'reg'ardsthe' direction and sire of the inclination angle. Aspitabjle.inclination a'ngle' in relation to the door surface E 76".

h q Q lfli ts i sasw imt ne E QPQ fitohhtedoh different" kindsof'd'oors, thin or thick, with "arenas-m rabbet, lea a right hand sidedass. Both the handle Land the button 2 can be actuated equally well fromdifferent directions. When mounting the lock the inner cover plate 11can be used as a pattern for the aperture which is made slightly largerthan the casing 3. When the casing has been inserted through theaperture and the casing edge which encircles the latchbolt 3 is in linewith the door edge, the lock itself is screwed securely from the frontside after which a cover plate may be positioned from the back side. Itis to be noted that the cover plate does not constitute any essentialpart of the locking device proper. The lock functions also without thecover plate which only serves to hide the aperture edges in suchinstances where the lock casing passes through the door. Should the doorbe thick the lock casing need only be inserted into the door and nocover plate is needed.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings it will be apparent that this invention provides a push buttontype of locking device easy .to mount and simple in construction withoutany sensitive parts which because of rough handling or prolonged usestop functioning. In the prior known keeper plate adapted to be securedover the latchbolt aperture on the door frame part opposite to the lock;the aperture may be made closer to the one edge than the other. In thisway the keeper plate can be .used equally well on doors with rabbet ason doors without rabbet. The invention also contemplates the use of a[-shaped keeper plate.

Also other modifications can be made in thedescribed device withoutdeviating from the'scope of the invention. So, e'.g., the lock casingand the latchbolt can be arranged sidewardly movable in relation to thehandle and push button, which arrangement may prove advantageous incertain instances. The shape and size of the button and the handle maynaturally be varied within wide ranges, as also the material from whichthe same are made.

- Moreover it has proved advantageous to make the button and the handleof plastic and the lock casing and latchbolt or sheet metal or the likematerial which is cut and then bent or shaped in any manner into thedesired form. However nothing prevents one from using plastic for themaking of the lock casing and/or the latchbolt also.

I claim:

A- push button actuated latching device for a compartment door,comprising a plate for attachment to the front of the door and providedwith an aperture, a push button extending inwardly through saidaperture, a hollow latchbolt casing attached to said plate andsurrounding an end of said push button, a pin extending through saidcasing, a latchbolt pivotally mounted on said pin andprovided with atongue and with a projection', said projection operatively contactingsaid push button, spring means urging said tongue to project outwardlyof said casing, depression of said push button against the urging ofsaid spring means causing said latchbolt topivot so that said tongue iswithdrawn into said casing;-a releasing lever in said casing havingparallel sid'e' portions partially encompassing said latchbolt andpivotedon said pin, an arm affixed to each'of' said side portions andextending toward each other inth e'path of movement of said projectionof said latchbolt, and; finger-piece extending from said releasingle'ver' exteriorly of said casing whereby movement of said finger pie'ceaway from sa'idcasing will cause said arms to engage saidprojection tomove said projection and accordingly said tongue against the action ofthe spring and inde pendently of any movement of said push button.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS289566 Lee Dec. 4; 1883" (Other references on following page) UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Steuerwald Jan. 24, 1893' Magovern Sept. 18, 1894Ledwinka Nov. 16, 1926 North June 12, 1928 Schmidgall Aug. 27, 1935 FordOct. 8, 1935 Fox Oct. 5, 1943 6 Jacobi Dec. 28, 1943 Knuth Aug. 4, 1953FOREIGN PATENTS Australia June 25, 1953 Belgium Mar. 31, 1954 GreatBritain Aug. 20, 1945 Great Britain Nov. 25, 1948

